Braising Mix

Our braising mix is one of our signature recipes at Sauvie Island Organics, arriving in your share during the cooler months of spring and fall when the many varieties of kale, mustard, and Asian chois that make up this mix thrive. You will enjoy green and red mustards, red choi, two varieties of tatsoi, white steamed pac choi, sprouting broccoli, and Red Russian kale in the flavorful mix of "greens".

Cooking Tips

Although all of these leafy greens can be eaten raw, as the name suggests, they are perhaps best lightly braised, steamed, or stir-fried. Quickly cooking them until slightly wilted will preserve their vitamins and minerals, as well as their pleasant crunchiness, while mellowing the spicy flavor of the mustards and making the kale more digestible. If you are sautéing or stir-frying, just toss them in at the last minute when other veggies or meats are finished cooking. Alternately, you can steam them or blanch them for just about a minute and serve them alone as a tasty side dish.

Storage Tips

These greens are a bit hardier, so they should store relatively well in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for at least a week. Still, they should generally be used sooner if possible.

Nutrition

We all have heard by now the many health benefits of leafy greens. They are high in a variety of vitamins and minerals, contain lots of fiber, and are thought to even prevent disease. Plus, they are very low in calories. Make sure not to overcook them, though, or many of these wonderful benefits can be lost.

Field Notes

The plants that make up our braising mix, although different looking and tasting, are almost all from the wonderfully diverse Brassica Rapa species. These plants thrive in the cool, moist weather of the Pacific Northwest's spring and fall. To harvest the braising mix, we generally make a recipe ahead of time, harvest each crop separately, and then mix all the different components together.